Diana Alicia Tocaven González
Universidad de Sonora, Mexico
Dr. Tocaven holds a Doctorate in Administration, a Master’s in Competency-Based Education, and a Bachelor’s degree in English Language Teaching with a specialization in Translation She is currently a professor in the Department of Foreign Languages at Universidad de Sonora, where she teaches Business English (English for Specific Purposes) and general English courses and has also actively participated in the COIL program. In the academic field, she has specialized in the design and implementation of ESP-oriented programs that promote the development of linguistic and professional competencies in global contexts. In the research field, she has collaborated on academic publications and contributed to the development of educational projects and specialized ESP teaching materials.
“COIL is the perfect a space for intercultural exchange and transformative learning, where diversity is embraced as an opportunity for both personal and professional growth.”
Project #1 Information
Project Name: Intercultural collaboration through Marketing
Partner: Sarah Mather, Grand Valley State University (United States)
Project Length: 2 months
Modality: Synchronous
Technology Tools Utilized: Zoom for live meetings; Canva for marketing presentations; Google Drive for collaboration and file sharing; Padlet for intercultural discussion and feedback
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Project Summary:
In this COIL project, students worked in international teams to design innovative ideas, including company images, logos, slogans, and business proposals. The students from Mexico developed innovative projects for companies located in Michigan using Business English, while the students from Michigan created proposals for companies in Sonora using Business Spanish.Through this intercultural collaboration, students strengthened their communication, teamwork, and professional language skills in authentic global contexts. At the end of the project, the teams presented their proposals directly to the company owners, who selected their favorite project based on creativity, innovation, and business viability.
Learning Outcomes:
Students not only strengthen their academic participation, but also develop intercultural awareness that enables them to adapt to diverse contexts and work effectively in global teams. These types of experiences contribute to the development of key competencies for today’s professional environment, such as effective communication, cultural empathy, and problem-solving in multicultural settings.
Project #2 Information
Project Name: Development of Personality Profile
Partner: Trish Stevenson, Conestoga College (Canada)
Project Length: 1 month
Modality: Synchronous
Technology Tools Utilized: Zoom for live meetings; Canva for marketing presentations; Google Drive for collaboration and file sharing; Padlet for intercultural discussion and feedback
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Partnerships for the Goals
Project Summary:
The goal is to discover a story about your partner that you can write a feature piece about your partner. Some example questions are: A day in the life? Goals for academics? Family life? What are you passionate about outside of school? What are you most proud of? Tell me about a change you have faced and how you have dealt with it? Tell me about a time you made a mistake? Follow up questions are the most important part of this exercise. The answers to the ‘get to know you’ interview questions are what reveal the story to the interviewer. Following up with questions such as: “How did that make you feel?” “What did you do then?” “What were you thinking?” etc Individual assignments are then written by students. Storytelling is at the forefront when creating a feature piece. Students are assessed individually by their class faculty. They will share their feature piece with their partner story.
Learning Outcomes:
This activity, students develop communication, storytelling, and intercultural skills by learning how to conduct meaningful interviews and transform personal experiences into feature stories.
Project #3 Information
Project Name: International interview
Partner: Multiple partners from different institutions/countries
Project Length: 1 month each
Modality: Synchronous
Technology Tools Utilized: Zoom for live meetings
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Partnerships for the Goals
Project Summary:
Students will participate in two interview sessions and will be paired virtually with a partner from another country: one student from another country looking for a job and one student from Mexico seeking employment opportunities. As part of the project, students must first select a company in the partner’s country and another in Mexico, and then conduct research about each business, including its mission, services, work culture, and professional expectations. Using this information, students will role-play job interviews as if they were applying for a position in that country.
Learning Outcomes:
This activity, students strengthen their speaking, listening, professional vocabulary, and intercultural communication skills, while gaining confidence in interview situations and learning about international workplace environments.